Creating an oasis in a 'food desert'

Updated 4:08 PM ET, Wed November 27, 2013

Creating an oasis in a 'food desert'12 photos

Creating an oasis in a 'food desert' – CNN Hero Robin Emmons picks spinach with Danny Phillips near Charlotte, North Carolina. When Emmons learned that more than 72,000 people in Charlotte lack access to fresh produce, she ripped up her backyard and started growing fruits and vegetables for area residents.

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Creating an oasis in a 'food desert'12 photos

Creating an oasis in a 'food desert' – Access to fresh food is an issue for many communities throughout the United States. According to the Department of Agriculture, nearly 10% of the U.S. population lives in low-income areas more than a mile from a supermarket.

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Creating an oasis in a 'food desert' – Emmons holds a handful of peppers just picked by volunteers. Since 2008, her nonprofit, Sow Much Good, has grown more than 26,000 pounds of produce for underserved communities in Charlotte.

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Creating an oasis in a 'food desert'12 photos

Creating an oasis in a 'food desert' – The Sow Much Good market is stocked with the freshest of "whatever is in season." Emmons strives to make her food as affordable as possible. People are also able to use their food stamps to purchase anything she sells, including seeds and seedlings so they can grow the food themselves.

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Creating an oasis in a 'food desert'12 photos

Creating an oasis in a 'food desert' – "When I see people coming to the farm stand ... I feel encouraged," Emmons said. "I feel like I am giving them a gift -- a healthier, longer, better, more delicious life."

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Creating an oasis in a 'food desert' – Emmons and her volunteers distribute recipe cards and urge customers to attend the group's free cooking demonstrations and canning classes. It's all part of their mission to help people take control over what they are eating and improve their health.

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Creating an oasis in a 'food desert' – "Healthy food is a basic human right," Emmons said. Today, she has 200 volunteers helping her tend 9 acres of crops.

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Creating an oasis in a 'food desert'12 photos

Creating an oasis in a 'food desert' – Emmons stocks produce at her market early one morning.

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Creating an oasis in a 'food desert' – Benjamin Beall, 9, shops at the Sow Much Good market with his mother and sister.

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Creating an oasis in a 'food desert' – Emmons helps customers identify different types of peppers.

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Creating an oasis in a 'food desert'12 photos

Creating an oasis in a 'food desert' – A T-shirt hangs on the wall of the Sow Much Good market.

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Creating an oasis in a 'food desert'12 photos

Creating an oasis in a 'food desert' – Eventually, Emmons would love to expand her organization across the country, combating "food deserts" wherever they exist. For now, she's devoted to helping Charlotte residents.